Switch-operating mechanism.



A. TANGUAY & D. QUINTAL'.

swlTcH UPERATING MEcHANlsM.

1,185,554. www" "LE" "fv' 26' '91"' Patented May 3o, 1916.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 0., WASHINGTUN. n. C.

A. TANGUAY L D. QUINTAL.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED Nbv. 26, 1915.

Patented May 30,1916.

THB auLUMBlA PLANQUE/PH co.. wASmNuTON. D. c.

A. TANGUAY & D. QUINTAL.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 26. 1915.

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wz'mEssEs INVENTOR l Afm/wf pm/741 THE COLUMNA PLArYlcoR/PH cn.,WASHINGTON. h. C.

ADOLPHE TANGU'AY, 0F PETIT BOIS, LONGUEUIL,-AND DOMINA QUINTAL, OFMONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SWITCH-OPERATING IVIECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 63,467.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ADOLPHE TANGUAY and DOMINA QUiNTAL, both subjectsof the King of Great Britain, and residing on St. Pierre street, PetitBois, Longueuil, and at 2819 St. Dominique street, Montreal,respectively, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements ,in Switch-Operating Mechanism; and we dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the same.

. The present invention relates to improvements in a switch operatingmechanism,

The main objects ofthe invention are to provide a simple, efficient,durable, compact and economical switch mechanism, which may be operatedautomatically in either direction by a car approaching along the mainline from either side.

The other objects will appear from the detailed description and claims.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use ofthe invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawingsforming part of this application. It is to be clearly remembered thatthe drawings are merely an illustration of the invention and show onlyone preferred form.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device with theswitch table partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice, showing a car truck and the switch operating member carriedthereby. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the switch table, looking tothe rightof the drawing. Fig. l is an enlarged vertical cross-section online 1 -A. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-section on line B-B.Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the switch table.'

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.l

lVith reference to the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable casing eitherformed integrally with or formed separately from and then securedto arail section. The rail section and casing together make a long narrowboX, U-shaped in cross-section. and adapted to contain parts of themechanism. Midway of its length, the casing is enlarged t0 form acylindrical well 2 of a much larger diameter. This well is provided witha plurality of horizontal brackets 3 or supports o n which may besupported, if desired, antifriction rollers, not shown in the drawings.Within the well 2 is rotatably mounted, a

switch table 4, said table being centrally provided with a pivot 5 whichengages a corresponding recess provided in the center support 6. Thusthe table is adequately supported, while at the same time being free torotate with the least possible friction. The top surface of the table isprovided with divergent rail sections, or has formed therein wheelgrooves to receive and support the car wheels, which have somewhat theshape of the letter K. In the drawing grooves are shown. One of thesewheel grooves extends completely across the table top, while the othertwo converge about toward the center of the table and there intersectsthe transversal groove. S0 by rotating the table, as will hereinafterappear, the main line rail section -may be brought into alinement withthe main line groove of the table, while at the same time swinging theswitch line wheel groove out of line with its rail and vice-versa.

7 is a main shaft suitably journaled within the casing 1 andlongitudinally disposed therein, said shaft passing under the switchtable and provided at each end with pinions 8 and 9, which co-act withyertically disposed beveled pinions 10 and 11, said pinions 10 and 11being mounted on stub-shafts 12 and 13 respectively. The upper end ofeach of said shafts 12 and 13 is provided with a four pointed star wheel111, in the form of a cross, the'points being adapted to pass into andthrough a recess in the adjacent rail face in a position to be engagedby a trip carried by the car truck. This trip will be fully'describedhereinafter and it is thought that before describing it, it ispreferable to give a thorough description of the switch mechanism.

15 are cams mounted on the shaft 7 preferably two in number and 16 arecams secured to the under side of the switch table, immediately abovethe cams 15, each bracket having two downwardly depending guide rods 17and 18 which engage the cam 15. It will, therefore, be easily understoodthat on turning the star wheel 111, it will cause the beveled gears torotate, which in turn will rotate the shaft 7 and the cam l5, therebyswinging the switch table into the necessary position. In order to holdthe switch table against accidental movement, an adjustment has beenprovided below the surface of said table, which consists of a double camor roller 19 mounted on said shaft 7, and provided with two o-ppositelydisposed notches which are adapted to be engaged by the pin 20 disposedat right angle to said roller, and held in continual contact with saidroller or double cam by the spring 21, said pin being preferably securedwithin the central support on which rests the turn table. lt will beseen also that the notches in roller 19 are shaped so that the rod 7 islocked against rotation in one direction.

The trip here shown in the drawings and carried by the car truck,comprises a rod or arm 22, pivotally secured intermediate thereof to thetruck frame, preferably on the outer side, and slightly bent at one endand provided with two branches 23 and 24 adapted to successively engagetwo arms in the star wheel 14C and cause a two-quarter or half rotation.25 is a spring secured to said arm 22 at one end and at the other end tothe truck frame and 26 is a foot-lever preferably disposed near themotorman and adapted to operate said arm 22 by meansof the operatingcords 27 and 28, which are secured to said foot-lever 26 and the freeend of said arm 22 respectively, and to a lever arrangement 9.9 securedto a cross-bar in the frame of the car truck.

In the operation of our device, if the car approaches the table from theright as viewed in Figs. 1 and 6 and the motorman wishes to continue onthe main line, he need take no steps to actuate the mechanism, since thetable is set so that the car will con tinue on the main line. If,however, the motorman wishes to turn from the main line into the switchline, he will simply lower the trip which shall grip the star wheelcausing the same to rotate, thereby rotating the shaft 7 and swingingthe table into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. If now themotorman approaches the switch along the main line from the left asviewed in Figs. l and 6 and finds the table in the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1, then he lowers his trip to .revolve the tableback into the position shown in full lines in Figs. l and 6 in a mannersimilar to that just mentioned.

In case, of course, the table is in the position shown in full lines inFigs. 1 and 6, the motorman approaching along the'main line from theleft as viewed in Figs. 1 and 6 will not operate the switch mechanismbut will run through the switch without changing the same.

In case a car approaches the switch along the switch line and the switchis in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 6, the carproceeds through the switch without pause or without need for changingthe switch. In case, however, the car approaches the switch along theswitch line and finds the same in the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1, then the motorman will need' to stop the car in order to havethe same changed before he can proceed onto the lnain line, since nostar wheel is provided, or other means, whereby the switch table may beshifted by the car on the switch line. However, it is believed to beobvious to those skilled in the art, in view of our previous disclosureherein, to arrange the apparatus so that it may be operated also by a`car on the switch line.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the construction, arrangementand dispositions of the different parts of the invention and it is meant'to include all such in this application, in which only a preferred formhas been disclosed.

What we claim is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, comprising a main linerail, a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersec tion, and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a shaft, a cam mounted on said shaft adaptedto swing said switch table, means to operate said shaft and means tohold said shaft against accidental movement.

2. In av mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a main linerail, a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersection, and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a shaft parallel with said main line rail, acam mounted on said shaft below said switch table, means provided belowsaid switch table to engage said cam, means to operate said shaft andmeans to hold said shaft against accidental movement.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, comprising a main linerail, a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersection and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a shaft suitably journaled and extendingbelow said switch table, a cam mounted on said shaft, guides secured tosaid switch table engaging said cam, means to operate said shaft andmeans to hold said shaft against accidental movement.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, comprising a main linerail, a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersection, and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a main shaft suitably j ournaled below saidswitch table, a cam mounted on said main shaft, guides secured to saidswitch table engaging said cam, a beveled gear mounted on said mainshaft, a stub shaft suitably journaled, a beveled gear mounted at theend of said stub shaft coacting with the gear on said main shaft,

means to operate said stub shaft and means to hold said main shaftagainst accidental movement.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, comprising a main linerail2 a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersection and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a main shaft extending below said switchtable, cams mounted on said main shaft, guides engaging said cams andadapted to swing said switch table, beveled gears mounted at each end ofsaid main shaft, stub shafts perpendicular to said main shaft, beveledgears mounted on said stub shafts co-acting with the gears on said mainshaft, star wheels adapted to actuate said stub shafts and means to holdsaid main shaft against accidental movement.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, comprising a mainlinerail2 a switch line rail intersecting the same, a switch table rotatablymounted at the point of intersection and provided with main line andswitch line rail sections, a shaft, a cam mounted on said shaft adaptedto swing said switch table, means to operate said shaft, a rollersuitably notched mounted on said shaft, a spring-held pin adapted toengage said notches and hold said shaft against accidental movement. l

Signed at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, this 28th day of October 1915.

ADOLPI-IE TANGUAY. DOMINA QUINTAL. Witnesses:

D. RAE, C. LEFEBRE.

i copies ot this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

